Appabatus fob and method of knitting



April 17, 1928. y g 1,666,794 R. W. SCDTT ET AL -AIPARATUS FOR AND HETHOD 0F KNITTING Filed Aug. 29. 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR @Robart W 500 it a" .Hl bfigTyZiE. Page THSR ATTORNEYS April 11, 192 1,665,794

R. W. SCOTT ET AL APPARATUS FOR AND METHOD OF KNITTING Filed Aug. 29. 1924 3 Sheets-Shes; 2

, I INVENTOR dJ-Pahert W500i Z w fU/bert EiPaye THEIR m'romwms- April 17,1928. 1,666,794

' R. w. SCOTT ET AL APPARATUS FOR AND METHOD OF KNITTING Filed Auz.29. 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR Robert 741.9002? 0 H2 Eer'tgl Pqge TH El R ATTORNEYS back of the fabric and reversing the,"posi- Patented Apr. 17, 1928.

UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT W. SCOTT, OF BABYLON, AND ALBE RT E. PA GE, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORS T0 SCOTT & "WILLIAMS INQ. OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

APPARATUS FOR AND METHOD OF KNITTING.

Application filed August 28, 1924. Serial No. 784,888.

Our invention relates to knitting machines adapted to knit plated fabrics and more particularly to the type in which stripes are produced by knitting two or more yarns of difierent colors together in such a way that while one yarn is being knit on the face of the fabric the others are being knitonthe tions of the yarns as desired. This may be 0 termed striping by reversing the plating.

One object of our invention is to provide simple, improved and effective method and mechanism for producing horizontal stripes in hosiery by plating; By horizontal stripes we mean stripes that run with the courses.

For purposes of illustration we have shown our invention embodied in a seamless hosiery machine of the well-known Scott & Williams type.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevationin section through part of the head of a knitting machine showing the yarn guides and the levers controlling them;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation on a smaller scale of the'pattern drums controlling the yarn guides;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of our yarn tension-v changing means;

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of our yarn tension-changing means showing part of the wave of the needles;

Fig. 5 is a plan view ofthe throat plate showing the yarn guides in one radial position I Fig. 6 is a similar plan view with the yarn guides in the reverse radial position;

Fig. 7 is an elevation of the hook of a needle showing how the yarns are fed to the needles when the yarn position shown in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a View similar to Figure 7 taken when the yarn guides are in ,the position shown in Fig. 5; and

Fig. 9 is a detail elevation of the mechanism controlling the, movement of the striping pattern drum.

As is well understood, in plating the two different yarns arefed to the needles in such a way that one yarn will be regularly drawn to the face of the knitted fabric and the other yarn will be drawn to the back, both guides are in the yarns being preferably knit by every needle. It has heretofore been suggested that reverse plating or striping could e obtained by' reversing the postions of the yarns being fed to the needles but this has never proved satisfactory and the devicesheretofore sug-- gested are not adapted for use in the modern circular knitting machine where the yarns pass through a throat which changes their direction just before going under the needles. Te have discovered that by putting some tension or drag on first one plating yarn and then the other, under certain conditions each plating yarncan'be knit in first on one side of the fabric and then .on the other. However, to make a mechanism WhlCh Will reverse the plating yarns under any conditions, we combine with the tension-alternating feature a reciprocation of the yarn guides radially to the needle circle. The horizontal separation and the reversal of the yarns resulting from this movement of the guides is translated by the throat plate intopeculiarly suitablepositioning of the yarns as will be set forth in detail later, the whole operation combining to give a veryelfective strf ping. Of course stripes of numerous colors can be obtained by feeding a plurality of yarns as backing yarns, and bringing a different yarn to the face'with each reversal.

Referringnow to Fig. 1, of the drawings, the needles are indicated at N and the throat plate at 559, while the yarn feeding fingers over the throat plate are indicated at F. These yarn fingers F are pivoted on a crosspin 554 set in the upright portion "of the latch ring 550, the latter being pivoted at a point 552 to the latch ring bracket 401. A separate yarn finger is used for each plating yarn and these fingers are made free to reciprocate radially to the needle circle by passing the crosspin through-a slot 8 in each such yarn finger instead of thecustomary fitted hole. The yarn-fingers can be raised ring just below the platep.

between a position near the needle circle and one more distant is accomplished by the mechanism which will now be described. Fastened to the rear end of each plating yarn finger by a screw 11 is a vertical ad justing plate 11 to whose two ends are respectively attached a link 12 and a tension spring 13. This link and tension spring are each fastened at their other end to a vertical lever bar 14. The connections to each end of link 12 are swivelled.

Fastened between a stud 15 on the upper end of the lever bar 14 and a plate pen the upright portion of latch ring is a tension spring 16 tending to hold the lever bar and the yarn finger attached to it forward toward the needle circle. To provide accurate setting of the yarn fingerin this forward position there is. a screw l2' mounted in the adjusting plate 11 adapted to act as a stop by touching the upright portion of the latch The method of attachment of the yarn finger tothe lever bar just described, permits the yarn finger or the whole latch ring to be raised out of action as usual. Each lever bar is fastened at its lower end to the upper arm of a bell crank lever 17 pivoted on a stud 18 mounted on a bracket m fastened to the frame of the machine. Also mounted on this bracket, near the stud 18 is a shaft 19 which carries an auxiliary or striping pattern drum 20 and a ratchet wheel 21, the drum and wheel'being adjustably fastened together, but free to turn on the shaft 19. On the periphery of the ratchet wheel 21 are teeth, one of them being lower than the others. Inside this striping pattern drum is a spring-pressed friction brake restraining the drum from accidental movement. On the surface of the drum are cams 22 each adapted to engage the adjustable foot 17* of the lower arm of one of the bell crank levers 17.- \Nhen a bell crank lever rides up on one of the cams 22,.the upper end of the corresponding lever bar 14 and the yarn finger connected to it is pulled away from the needle circle. By adjustment of thefoot 17 an accurate setting of the yarn finger-in the, back position can be obtained. Thus, by alternating the cams 22 operating the two bell crank levers, the two striping yarn fingers can be kept in opposite positions and these positions reversed as desired.

The striping pattern drum is turned by a hook plate 23* on one end of a racking pawl 23 engaging the teeth on the ratchet wheel 21. This racking bar 23 is swivelled at its other end to a lever 24, pivoted on the frame of the machine. This lever 24 and the racking bar are reciprocated continuously by a heart shaped cam 25 located on the main drive shaft 32 beside the main bevel gear 31,

lever 24 being by means of a roller26 on I) mounted on the shaft; and

one side of the end of the lever. This roller is held on the surface of the cam by a spring 27 stretched parallel to the racking pawl between the pawl and a guide plate 28 on the bracket m. There is a spring 23 mounted on the guide plate 28 tending to hold the racking pawl in engagement with the ratchet wheel. The racking pawl 23 lies in a slot in the guide plate 28 and is free to be lifted. The heart shaped cam 25 andthe teeth on the ratchet Wheel 21 are so cut that at each reciprocation of the racking pawl 23 .the striping drum is advanced the length of one tooth on the ratchet wheel. The cams 22 on the striping pattern ,drum can be made of any desired length, and since the main shaft 32 turns once for every revolution of the nee dle cylinder, it is possible to reverse the platin after every course or after several courses.

Tn order to stop the rotation of the striping drum when the machine is knitting parts of the stocking where striping is not desired, and for another purpose which will be described later, an idling lever 530 is mounted loose on the shaft 19. The foot of this lever overlies the main pattern drum 120.and is adapted to be lifted by the cams 501 and 502. Projecting upward from this lever to a point just below the racking pawl 23 is an adjustable arm 531. When the idling lever 530 rides up on to a cam 501,-this arm 531 is adapted to lift the racking pawl so that the plate 23 will not engage any of the teeth on ratchet wheel 21. This lifting takes place as the needle cylinder begins to reciprocate to make the heel of the-stocking. At the end of the heel the racking pawl is loucredto continue moving the ratchet wheel 21 from where it left off, the pattern thus being unbroken on the instep of the stocking in spite of the insertion of the heel on the back. At the end of the striped pattern in the foot, the striping yarn fingers F are removed from action by the thrust rods 460 and the racking bar lifted by means of a cam 502 on the main patterndrum. This cam is lower than cam 501 with the result that the racking pawl 23 will continue advancing the ratchet wheel 21 until it comes to the low tooth over which it idles until -it is desired to again make striped work. This results in always starting the striped pattern at the beginning of its cycle. I

The idling lever 530 can also be employed to vary the striped pattern by intermittently stopping the rotation of the ratchet wheel 21. The mechanism which operates the idling lever for this purpose is a toggle aetuated by the usual quadrant or segment gear pivoted on a shaft 76 on which the tened to the quadrant by a pin 71, and is used amongst other things to actuate the pattern chain. It is geared to make one conithe two yarns are reversed. This is accomplete reciprocation for every four revoluplishedby the means which will now be detions of the needle cylinder. Mounted on scribed. the quadrant is a pin 77 held by a set screw Pivoted from bracket a on the upright 77 On the end of this pin is fastened one portion of the latch ring, is a curved arm 9 end of a short bar 532 with a slotted link 533* having a slanting edge facing the circumpivoted at the other end-this bar and link ference of one of the discs of each pair. comprising the toggle. When this arm is swung up, the slanting F romone side of the idling lever 530 profacepresses against the edge of oneconvex l0 jects a short. ,pin 534 which lies'in the slot disc and pushingagainst the'pressure of the 533 in the slotted link 533. As the quadrant v compression spring 0, tips this disc away 75 swings away from the ratchet wheel .21 from the other, opening a space between the the bar 532 swings the slotted "link up and two discs on one side of the pin 1). The yarn when the pin 534 engages the bottom of the being between the discs on the side of the I slot 533 the idling lever is raised and clears discs "thus opened, has the drag removed the racking pawl from the teeth 011 the from"itr In order to operate this tension ratchet wheel, The racking pawl is thus releasing device, a wire it iS hooked iIltO the madeto idle over the ratchet wheel for one arm 9 at a point above the pivot centre of or more courses. It will be apparent that the arm.- The wire passes to the rear of'the by adjusting the position of the dead center machlne, where 1t passes throu h the stud 15 of the bar 532 and link 533 the racking. bar onthe upper end of the lever ar 14.

can, for instance, be made to advance the To maintain the proper relation between ratchet wheel one tooth and miss the next, the lever bar 14 and the wire it, there is an advance two teeth and miss the next two, dws flhlo colla rj at the end of the wire it 2!! advance three teeth and miss the next one,' Wlth a 8111311 1 011 spring 70 between the or advance one tooth and miss the next three, leeve and t-hpl t p- T ve b r i held thus altering the number of revolutions of towards the latch ring by a tension spring 16,

theneedle cylinder required to'complete one 'thls havi gthe efiect of keeping, the arm 9 revolution of the ratchet wheel 21. If it is Zl n p f eng gement-with the discs. desired to rack every course the pin 534 is The plating reversing mechanism operremoved from the slot in link 533. ates n the following manner, whichever In practical knitting it is necessary to y n is acting as thefacing yarn being deshave some tension on the facing yarn but g g d aty, an the yarn a ting as the.

practically none on the backing yarn. We king yarn as 1 The. striping att n 85 have discovered that it is possible to' reverse drum is brought into action by the idling th l ti i certain'cases b m r ly applylever 530 dropping off its cam 502 on the ing tension to the two plating yarns alter- Ina-in pattern drum 120 and letting the racknately, and'feeding them to the needles from ing pawl 23 engage the low tooth on the approximately the same point on the throat ratchet wheel 21. The racking pawl being 40 plate, but to make a machine which will rein continuous reciprocation the striping verse the plating under any conditions we pattern drum starts to turn.- The two platprefer to comb ne the alternating of the ing yarn fingers F are dropped into operatension with the yarn finger controlmechative position by the thrust bars 460 drop-- nism above described. The'tension changping off their cams on the main pattern ing mechanism which we. are'about todedrum and the spring 13 pulling against the scribe is peculiarly effective and simple. link 12 bringing the yarn fingersdown into Mounted the upright portion of the contact with the heel of the throatplate 559. latch ring isa bracket a carrying the yarn The yarn finger whose bell crank lever 17 tensioning mechanism. Each yarn passes is on a'cam 22 then assumes a position away between two convex discs (Zwh'ose convex from the needle circle; while the yarn finsides face each otherjust before it goes to ger whose bell crank the toe of its yarn finger (see Fig. 4). Each goes to a forward position. For purposes pair of discs is mounted on a pin 6, passing of illustration we shall assume that the through the centre of the discs and the discs parts take positions shown in Fig. 5. The

are held together by a compression spring 0 lever bar 14 which is drawn back pulls the whose-degree of compression can be adjusted wire it raising the arm 9 into engagement byathumb-nut e, mounted on the pin 6. The with the outer disc above it removing the diSCS are held from turning by a pin f, set drag on the hacking yarn "1 (see Fig, 4).

in notches in the edge of the discs. Each The backing yarn i/ after passing between 00 pai f discs, hus m unt d, would n rmally its two se arated discs d goes through' the afit -a drag On t e ya n pa ing between toe of its retracted yarn finger, diagonally t e scs, to release their yarns alternately thus an th th t 560 d t thi p i th yarn abling the machine to keep tension on the 1/ turns down to the needles N passing unfacing yarn by reversing the tension when der the hooks of the needles beyond the lever is off its cam 22- but the tWO pairs Of d sc e made over the throat plate, 559 to the corner ofdial to the needle circle.

throat plate in the. direction of-rotation of the needle circle. The facingyarn however is put under tension by its two discs, and

goes through the toe of its-yarn finger which is in the forward position. In this way the yarn fingers achieve a horizontal Separation of the yarns in a direction substantially ra- The facing yarn g goes out to the throat and over it at a distance from the corner, after which it goes down to the needles, getting under the hooks before the backing yarn in point of time. From the position of the throat and the needle circle it will be apparent that the two yarns are under the hooks at different elevations as shown in Figs. 7 and "8I*1g. 7 corresponding to Fig. 6 and Fig.

8 corresponding to Fig. 5.

lrVhen the ca1ns'22 on the striping drum change alternation the plating yarn fingers reverse their positions in a manner which will be obvious and. the arm 9 which was in engagement with its disc ddrops' down, releases the disc and puts a drag on its yarn,

Y which now becomes the facinglyarn 1 At the same moment the other arr'n y is raised and releases its yarn from tension. The yarn fingers have "enough clearance above thethroat plate to permit 'ofsthe yarn which was facing yarn y passing under'the other yarn finger as it passes to the corner of the throat plate. The yarn which now feeds from the forward yarn finger of course goes over the throat at a distance from the corner as the other yarn did before.

The operation of the device for varying the number of courses in each strlpe will be obvious from the description already given.

It will be apparent that our invention is applicable to all kinds of knitting machines.

' Where in the claims we refer to two yarns,

it should be understood that we include the possibility of'using any number of facing and backing yarns.

What we claim is:

1. In a knitting machine, plating reversing mechanism comprising a plurality of yarn finge'rs adapted to separate their yarns in a horizontal plane by reciprocation toward and from the needles, 1n combination with a throatplate over which the horizontally separate yarns pass to the needles, said throatplat-e being adapted to give the yarns different elevations as they approach the needles.

2. In a knitting machine, plating reversing mechanism comprising a plurality of yarn changing yarn fingers adapted to separate their yarns in a horizontal plane by reciprocation toward and from the needles, in combination with a 'throatplate over which the horizontally separate yarns pass to the needles, one of said yarns being uided to the needles by the corner of the throatplate and another at a distance from the corner, thus giving the yarns different elevations as they approach the needles.

3. In a knitting machine, plating reversing mechanism having yarn fingers adapted to reciprocate toward and from the needles in a horizontal plane in combination that yarn is coming is nearest the needles, and a throatplate adapted to separate the yarns vertically as they pass over it to the needles.

4. In a circular knitting machine, glatingreversing mechanism having a plura yarn changing yarn fingers adapted to reity of ciprocate radially to the needle circle and to separate their yarns in a horizontal plane,.

in .combination with a throat plate over which the yarns pass to the needles, said throatplate being adapted to give the yarns different elevations as they approach the needles.

5. In a circular knitting machine having a plurality of yarn-changing yarn fingers, plating reversing mechanism. including two of said yarn changing yarn fingers adapted to reciprocate radially to the needle circle, and to separatetheir yarns in a. horizontal plane, in combination with a throat plate over which the yarns pass to the needles, said throat plate being adaptedto give the yarns different elevations as. they approach the needles. v

6. In a circular knitting machine having a plurality of yarn-changing yarn fingers, plating reversing mechanism including two of said yarn changing yarn fingers adapted to reciprocate radially to the needle circle and to separate their yarns in a horizontal plane only, in combination with a throat plate. over which the yarns pass to theto put a drag on each yarn alternately when the finger from which that yarn is coming is nearest the needles.

8. In a circular knitting machine, plating reversing mechanism comprising two yarn fingers adapted to reciprocate radially to the needle circle. a threat plate adapted to receive the yarns from the yarn fingers and feed them to the needles at different elevations, in combination with tension means adapted to put a drag on each yarn alterwith" tcnsion means adapted to put a drag on aglr yarn alternately when the finger from which Lace)? fnately when the finger from which that yarn is comingis nearest the needles, and unitary cam means controll ng the reciprocat on of 1. saidyarn fingers and the putting of tension on the' yarns.

9. In a circular knitting machine, plating .gers reclprocable radially to the needle cirelevations as they approach the needles and cam means controlling reciprocation of said. yarn fingers.

10. In a circular knitting machine having pattern control means, plating reversing mechanism comprising yarn fin ers reciproto the needle circ e, each havcable radially d d a apte ing in association therewith means to put a tension on the yarn in said finger.

when said yarn is-actingas a facing yarn,

- in combination with a throatplate adapted to reversing mechanism comprising yarn fin' a give said yarns different elevations as they approach the needles, cam ,means controlling the reciprocationof said yarn fingers and tension means, andratchet means operating said cam means and controlled by the pattern control means.

11. A method of knitting plated fabrics comprising feedin two 'yarns through two yarn fingers at difierent distances from the needles with tension on one of said yarns, then passing said thhs horizontally separated yarns over a throatplate at substantially the same level whereby the yarns are fed to the needles at different elevations, and

subsequently reciprocating the yarn fingers.

- at right angles to the needles in a horizontal plane, thereby reversing the feeding posi-' tions of the yarns, and simultaneously transferring the tension to the other yarn.

In testimony whereof we havesigned our names to this specification.

"ROBERT W. SCOTT. ALBERT E. PAGE. 

